


We Are Each Other's

by islolzaword



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bartsugsy - Freeform, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mentions of Violence, Romantic Fluff, a little bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 12:30:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5967490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islolzaword/pseuds/islolzaword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been a few months since Gordon has been sent down and now Aaron is in a much better place. He realizes that he still has feelings for Robert but he doesn't know if he can trust him after everything he has put him through.</p><p>What happens when Holly Barton returns to the village and Aaron is confronted with another person he's tried to get it on with in his past? And what happens when Robert not only meets her but is given a bit more information than he bargained for.</p><p>Will Jealousy get the better of him? And will Aaron ever be able to trust Robert again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Are Each Other's

The Woolpack was crawling with people, all there for their daily pint after a grueling days’ work. Sat in the booth in the corner of the pub were two especially tired lads who’d just endured a long day at the scrap yard. Some people just liked to make their lives difficult and Aaron and Adam had been looking forward to their pints as soon they had got to work that morning. 

“I’m telling you, if these guys pull their deal we’re going to need to sort out some kind of backup plan so we don’t get pulled under the bus” Adam said while leaning his head against the back of the seat. Aaron had his head flat on the table and his arms sprawled out in front of him with one hand curled around his pint. Meaningless to say, he was knackered and really needed to take his mind off things. He turned his head to look up at Adam.

“They can’t just do that though, they need to give us more notice then what they have. If we talk to Rob we can probably sort something out.” Adam looked at him and nodded his head dubiously before they both slurped down another sip of their pints. Just at that moment Victoria decided to wander over to their booth, to check on her husband and one of her best friends. She looked at the both of them with concern in her eyes, as they were clearly exhausted, they had been like that for days. They both had been getting up at the crack of dawn each day to get to the scrapyard. Basically they needed to turn around more revenue so that the blokes from New Castle didn’t go back on their shipping deal. They had just come back from a meeting with some high execs and they were still not pleased with the amount of scrap the lads had been generating. Quite frankly, Aaron thought they were just getting greedy. 

Vic sat down at the booth and smiled at the both of them. “You guys look like you’ve been run over by a truck” Aaron sat up and leant back against the seat, giving Vic a sarcastic smile. Adam wasn’t all that enthused either. Vic smirked before turning to Adam. 

“When’s Holly getting in? I thought you were picking her up from the Airport?” Adam shrugged and leant forward.

“She texted earlier. Saying I was too exhausted so she’d grab a taxi. She’s gonna meet up with us here.” Adam turned to Aaron who was taking a swig of his pint. “I thought Rob was meeting us anyway” This caught Vic by surprise as she watched Aaron stop in his tracks, pint halfway between his mouth and the table. He shot Adam a glare before turning to see Victoria’s smug face, knowing now that he wouldn’t be hearing the end of it.

“You and Robert are meeting up?” Vic asked with excitement. After Gordon's sentencing Robert had been pretty much stuck by Aaron’s side. They’d show up in the pub together, they’d be seen walking through the village together, they were seen coming out of each other’s houses at all times of the day. There was gossip around the village, saying that they were back together but neither of them had actually confirmed it. Aaron himself wasn’t even entirely sure what they were anymore but that didn’t stop people like Vic from trying to get a confirmation out of him. He sighed deeply and nodded at Vic.

“Yeah, it’s not a big deal alright.” She just gave him a knowing look before getting up from her seat to go and serve some food to a few customers at another booth. Aaron looked at Adam again and shoved his arm. Adam just turned to him and smirked before shoving him back.

“Why’d go and say that for? You know we’re just mates” Adam laughed and shook his head, obviously not believing a word he was saying.

“OK, if that’s what you tell yourself.” He turned away, taking another sip of his pint. Aaron followed suit, suddenly caught in his own thoughts as he relived the past few months over in his head; the trial, Gordon being found Guilty, his sister coming back into his life, Robert…

Aaron thought about how if Robert hadn’t of been there for him throughout the whole trial and afterwards he would never have been able to make it through alive. It had been one of the most terrifying things he had experienced, living in constant fear that the man who had abused him as a kid could just walk free at any minute. Robert had reassured him, had looked after him, never leaving his side and he was glad he had but he still couldn’t trust Robert entirely. He found it hard after everything that had happened between them, but now old feelings were starting to resurface and he didn’t know what he was going to do with them. 

Suddenly he was brought out of his reverie when Vic decided she was going to join them again, suddenly making Aaron dread the conversation that was to come next.  
“My brother loves you to bits, and I know you love him.” Aaron rolled his eyes and Adam smirked beside him, knowing full well Aaron hated this but wasn’t planning on stepping in anytime soon. “So I’m not seeing any reason why you guys can’t just jump each other’s bones already” Aaron screwed his face up at her words, wanting to avoid this conversation entirely. Just then Vic looked up and saw that her other GBF had just walked into the room. Finn and her connected eyes so he wandered over to their booth and took a seat. 

“Lads” he said in greeting to Aaron and Adam and they responded in typical form by nodding a greeting in his direction. He smirked before turning to Vic. 

“Can’t be long. I’m back at the B&B in an hour” Vic sighed in disappointment.

“Fine, let me get you a pint” she got up, leaving Finn to talk to Aaron and Adam on his own.

“So how’s the scrapyard?” And at that Aaron and Adam sighed in annoyance, having briefly enjoyed the short time they’d forgotten about work. Finn just shrugged and waited for Vic to come back over with his pint. She hurdled into the booth a minute later with a grin on her face. The lads just gave her an incredulous look before she grinned at Adam with excitement etched onto features.

“Guess who I just saw about to walk through the door?” She clapped her hands as they all looked to the door of the pub to see it swing open and in strolled Holly Barton. Adam bolted up from his seat and did a mad dash to greet his sister who he hadn’t seen in years.

“Hello stranger!” He bellowed as she smiled and ran into his arms.

“Adam!” she laughed with delight. They hung onto each other for a bit before breaking apart. Then Adam stared her in the direction of their booth. She saw Vic and smiled and Vic got up and gave her a hug. 

“Hey sis-in-law” Holly said matter-of-factly, like she was proud that her brother had finally tied the knot to someone so brilliant. 

“Hey Holly” Vic said as she pulled away and pointed to a seat for her to sit down. Aaron coughed trying to get her attention and she just turned to him and shook her head with a grin. Aaron smiled back as he got up and walked around the table, holding his arms out for a hug.

“What, no hug for the greatest ex-boyfriend on the planet?” she smirked and quickly pulled him in for a big hug. 

“Shut up Aaron” he laughed as she gave him a shove and he went back to his seat. She turned to Finn and then Aaron and looked as if she was slowly deliberating something in her head.

“So, is this your boyfriend then?” she asked and Finn, who had been in the middle of taking a sip from his pint suddenly spat it out in shock. He smirked 

“Yeah right” he stated and everybody laughed, turning to Aaron who looked at Finn for a second before he put his pint on the table, feigning a hurt expression

“Would that be so horrible?” he joked and Finn looked at him and laughed, then giving it a second, as if he was thinking about it and nodded. 

“Yeah, once is enough for me” and Holly, Adam and Victoria all snorted into their pints. Adam just began laughing his head off as Aaron shook his head with a slight grin on his face. Adam was still laughing as hard as he clutched his stomach. Aaron gave him a shove and Adam shot back 

“I still can’t believe you slept with my brother” he guffawed as he placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder, trying to support himself. Holly laughed and turned to Finn.

“You’ve got to admit though, he is good in bed though isn’t he?” At that Aaron lost his pint all over his trousers just as Adam was stopped from his laughing fit. He turned to Aaron with a glare and Aaron just shrugged sheepishly.

“…And my sister” Holly and Aaron just smirked. Vic just sat in her seat twiddling her thumbs before she had to chime in herself.

“But yeah, I do have to agree with Holly on that front” Aaron just laughed and Adam squirmed

“…And my wife! Come on Man!” Aaron couldn’t keep from smiling as suddenly the door to the pub opened again and Robert walked in, which in all honesty, just made him smile more. He couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled this much. It felt good. 

Holly turned to look at Aaron and beamed. “But seriously, any men on the horizon?” she asked in interest. He just shrugged, still looking at Robert, who had been to the bar and now had started walking over. 

“Well there’s that…sort of” he said pointing at Robert who was now standing at their booth with a grin on his face and a pint in his hand. Robert changed his expression to a look of confusion when he saw Victoria, what some may call, melting because of Aaron’s words for her brother. She just stared between the two, relishing in the fact that they were so in love with each other. If only they weren’t so stubborn and actually admitted it to one another. 

Robert saw Holly and gave her a questioning look. “Who’s this?” 

Holly gave him a big grin before looking between him and Aaron who were now sharing glances from across the booth. She held out her hand to Robert and smiled, “I’m the one who turned Aaron gay. So you’re welcome” She said causing Adam to smirk

“Too right” he muttered beneath his breath. Robert laughed at their banter, although he was still somewhat confused as he went to take her hand. 

“I’m Holly. Adam’s sister” she informed before she gave Adam a shove, only leading to him shoving her back. “I’m also Aaron’s ex-girlfriend” Robert scoffed, finding it hard to believe that Aaron had ever had a girlfriend. Victoria just sunk in her seat a bit, little did Robert know…

Aaron just sighed in the corner, taking another swig of his pint. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable as he looked around the table, realizing he had tried it on with everyone there…including Adam. He shivered at the memory, trying to block it from his brain. This was some evening already and it had barely even started. 

That was when Robert gestured for Finn to move over as he slid into the booth. He wished that he was able to sit next to Aaron but Finn was sitting between them so he settled where there was an available space. They shared another awkward glance before Robert turned back to face Vic.

“So, what are we talking about?” he asked and everybody, including Aaron just cracked up. Finn, who was just looking into his pint, without really thinking, spoke up.

“About how good Aaron is in the sack” Robert’s eyes opened wide as he just turned to look at Aaron who was shaking his head, trying not to burst into a fit of laughter as he just stared at his pint. 

Victoria looked at her brother and smiled. “Do you want to add your two cents?” Robert stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

“I…”

“Don’t even think about it” Aaron cut him off. Robert just smirked, remembering full well just how good Aaron really was in bed. He looked at Victoria who was avoiding looking into her brother’s eyes.

“Wait, you said you were all talking about this? What’s your experience?” he said looking at his sister, who was now trying her hardest not to also burst into a fit of laughter. She tried to keep a straight face and not confess to her brother her history with the man he loved but it was becoming really hard, she just found it too funny. 

Suddenly she just cracked and let it out, “Oh fine. I took his V card” Aaron opened his eyes wide, not knowing what was going to happen next as Robert just stared at his sister for a few seconds before he looked between Aaron and her. He was taken aback as he tried to fathom it and began shaking his head, causing for Aaron to smirk as he tried to keep a straight face. 

He looked at Aaron. “You….You slept…With…my…sister?” Aaron was really struggling to contain the laughter that was threatening to escape from his lips, as he nodded his head.  
Robert just looked at him slack jawed for a few moments 

“I can’t believe you slept with my sister!” He cried

“Dude, you get over it eventually” said Adam nonchalantly as he took another swig of his pint. Aaron just looked at Robert and shrugged with obvious signs of amusement. He decided to relent when Robert raised an eyebrow, seemingly looking for an explanation. 

Aaron sighed, “I was like 17. I was a stupid Kid and like Narnia deep in the closet.” He informed, turning to Vic who just smirked as well.

“Do you remember what I said to you then?” She asked him. He just laughed

“You have the best gaydar in the world I’ll tell you now” He said, Robert just looked between them shocked, not wanting to believe it for a second. He just took a swig of the pint that was in front of him. Just then Chas walked over with a few plates of nibbles and placed them on the table in front of everyone. They looked at her confused as they hadn’t ordered anything.

“On the house” She said “Marlon’s new creations” they all shrugged accepting the offer as they tucked into the food. Chas looked between them.

“So what are we talking about?” she asked, in that nosy way of hers.

“Just that Aaron’s a slut and is really good in bed apparently” said Adam. Aaron just glared at him and he looked at his mum who was probably trying to unhear what she had just heard. 

“Too much information” she said as she sauntered off. Everybody laughed as Aaron just shook his head and shoved Adam again. Robert still couldn’t get over what he had just found out and turned to look at Aaron. 

“Is there anybody besides Adam, who you haven’t been with at this table?” he questioned. Aaron and Adam just looked at each other briefly as they both broke out into a fit of laughter. 

“Well…Actually…” started Aaron with a massive smirk on his face. Robert opened his eyes in shock, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. 

“I was the first lad he tried to snog” Adam got out between belts of laughter. Aaron gleamed as they both broke out into more laughter. Robert just leant back in his chair. 

“I’m going to get another pint” he said dubiously as he got up from the booth. Aaron stopped laughing as he watched Robert walk up to the bar, instantly feeling guilty. He gestured for Finn to move out of the booth so he could get up himself. He sauntered over to the bar and stood next to Robert who was furrowing his brow.  
He leant against the bar and looked at him, and saw Robert was now refusing to look him in the eye. 

“You alright?” he asked the man he knew he loved but still couldn’t accept. Robert just nodded his head as he took a deep breath.

“Yeah, it’s just hard to imagine you ever being with anybody else” he said as he slowly turned to face Aaron. Aaron felt his heart flutter at his words as he swallowed and turned to face the others who were now carrying on with a completely new conversation. It was then Aaron knew that he and Robert had some serious talking to do. He started walking behind the bar and gestured to Robert for him to follow him into the backroom of the pub. 

He walked over and sat on the couch as Robert sauntered into the room and leant against the wall behind him. There was a brief moment of silence. Aaron didn't know how long it lasted but it was eerily becoming awkward as he realized that he had brought Robert back here for a reason. They had skimmed past the subject long enough and now it was time for them to say to each other what they needed to say. Aaron went first as he got up and faced the older man. 

“Look, yeah I’ve been with other people, but so have you” Aaron said, hinting at what Robert already knew. Robert closed his eyes, knowing that he wasn't entitled to any jealousy regarding Aaron having been with other people; especially after everything he had put him through throughout their affair. He moved away from the wall and moved closer to Aaron. 

“I’m sorry” he said and Aaron nodded his head in response. Robert beamed, “It is good to see you enjoying yourself again though” Aaron smiled, knowing that tonight was the most fun he’d had in a long while. 

“Yeah, it’s been good, they’ve been great” Aaron slowly turned towards the kitchen and walked to the fridge to get two cans of beer. He walked back to the living room to see that Robert had situated himself on the couch. “But maybe we could just have a pint?” he said, offering a can to the other man. Robert smiled up at him and took the beer. That’s when Aaron sat next to him and he all of a sudden felt a flutter of nerves go through him. It was like that every time Aaron had been near him lately. He didn’t know why, but all of a sudden it just felt like they’d become more than just mates overnight. Nothing had been said, but the tension was there and he knew that Aaron was in a much better place now. So all he really wanted to do was move his hand to the back of Aaron’s neck, pull him in, and kiss him. Just kiss him, nothing more. Not until Aaron was ready. 

He looked at Aaron who was slowly taking a sip from his beer. Aaron turned to look at him and Robert knew he could feel it too. He took deep breaths and placed his beer on the table in front of him and ran his fingers through his own hair. He turned to look back at Aaron and stared deeply into his eyes. This was it. This was his moment. He slowly started moving his face closer to Aaron’s. He could see the desire in the other man’s eyes and he knew he wanted it to. Or at least he thought he did. That was until he felt Aaron’s hand on his chest, gently pushing him away.

“No. Stop” Aaron said in a haze of breath. He watched as Aaron put his beer down and rushed to stand up from the couch. Robert cringed to himself. How could he have been so stupid? It was too soon. Or maybe Aaron just didn’t feel that way about him anymore. He stood up as well. Watching Aaron pace back and forth in front of him, running his hands through his hair. He turned to look at Robert who stared, in pain, at the man he loved, the man he thought loved him. He started heading towards the door.

“I should just go” he said in a hurry. He got close to the door before he felt an arm pull him back

“No, I don’t want you to leave” Aaron said in a fluster, he couldn’t get his thoughts in order. Right now, he didn’t know what he wanted…And that was the problem. 

“Look, it’s obvious my feelings for you are one sided so I should just go before I embarrass myself even more” Robert said as he moved towards the door once more.

“But that’s the thing!” Aaron cried, causing Robert to stop in his tracks and turn to the younger man “They aren’t one sided” Aaron said softly, barely above a whisper. But that didn’t matter because Robert heard exactly what he uttered and went to move closer only to have Aaron move away again.

Robert stood at him confused. “Then what’s the problem” Aaron looked up at Robert and stared into his eyes. “When we’re mates…” he stopped himself but then carried on “I…I can trust you, because I know you can’t…hurt me again.” Roberts face fell, not wanting to register what Aaron was saying. But he had too. He had hurt him so much so he knew Aaron needed to get this off his chest. He moved back into the room to sit down on the couch. Aaron followed and leant against the dining room table. His arms folded as he carried on speaking. 

“You tied me to a radiator, you held a gun at my head. You almost killed the man I consider to be my father…” Robert felt tears sting at the corners of his eyes, not wanting to believe that he had ever done those things to Aaron. But he had, and he couldn’t take them back, no matter how much he wanted to. He looked up at Aaron who now had tears of his own pouring down his face. 

“I can’t just forget it ever happened…” Aaron continued and Robert clenched his eyes shut as he tried to stop tears from flowing. He wiped some away.

“I…” He was choked up he realized so he cleared his throat. “I’m so sorry Aaron” he cried, he didn’t even bother wiping the tears away now as Aaron looked to Robert and could see his genuine remorse. 

“I’m not going to spit out some random excuses about why I did it. Just know that it was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.” He cried. He stood up and walked closer to Aaron who unfolded his arms and placed his hands on the table. 

“I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone…” Robert continued, “I couldn’t accept that I was in love with a man. It frightened me to death and I…I couldn’t bring myself to accept it…”

Aaron just looked at Robert, not saying a word as he listened to the man in front of him declaring his undying love for him. His heart was fluttering ten times faster than usual and he could feel his walls beginning to break as more tears traveled down his cheeks.

“…But I can now. I love you. If you want me to go out there and admit it to everyone like that time you told me to when I wanted us to run away then I’ll do it.” Aaron smirked and shook his head.

“No don’t” Aaron moved a few inches closer to Robert and Robert just stared at him with his tear stained cheeks and smiled. 

“I promise you that nothing like that will ever happen again. I know you may not always completely trust me and I guess that’s alright, but trust me when I say…you are the love of my life…and I…and I can’t imagine my life with you.” Aaron just looked at Robert, slightly gob-smacked that he had bared his soul to him. There was no ulterior motive, there was nobody else he would say these words to. He, Aaron Livesy, had Robert Sugden’s heart. And finally, Robert was his and only his. Aaron smiled and he grabbed the sides of Roberts’s jacket and pulled him towards him. He didn’t even give it a second thought this time before smashing his lips onto Roberts. 

At first it was heavy, and laced with so much fire and heat and sexual tension. They had been apart for so long that it felt like they were making up for lost time. Aaron moaned into the kiss as he and Robert became one entwining soul, wanting to feel every inch of each other as passion took control. But then they broke apart, if only for a brief moment and Robert moved his hands to cup the sides of Aaron’s face. He grinned from ear to ear as they rested their foreheads together. They reignited the kiss, but this time they were slow and purposeful as they led each other out of the room and towards the stairs, slowly heading towards Aaron's bedroom. 

They clambered up the stairs, not letting their mouths part from one another as they took each other in, slow and passionate as they realized that now they had all the time in the world. 

Robert was Aaron’s.  
And Aaron was Robert’s.  
Finally.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written for this site. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Comment and tell me what you think!


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